The Ulanara Empress

第十六章

Ruyi happily walked into the Emperor's room. The smell of food hit her head on "So fragrant", she exclaimed as the man walked towards her. "Yes, Spare the formality. Come", he took her hand in his and led her to the table.

"Ruyi. Tonight's dinner, I've prepared all your favourites". Ruyi looked at the table, smiling, her eyes gleaming with joy and mischief. "So many dishes, is today some special day?" As she sat, she missed the look of complete love and adoration the Emperor gave her. "Today is like a small new year's meal. You're working hard managing the six palaces, so I prepared these dishes to reward you."

Ruyi smiled and reached for a teapot. "Then I thank Your Majesty very much. I will eat this entire tableful of food", her eyes full of glee as she glanced at the food and reached to pour out some wine for him. The two exchanged conversation when a eunuch informed the Emperor of First Attendant Wei being present.

This time to Ruyi's shock, the Emperor sent her back and focused on her. He started conversations about the past and the things they still enjoyed. At some point, he even apologized for how he reacted when she informed him of how Westerners lived. Their conversation flowed steadily. Leading into the rest of the evening and the night.

When Ruyi prepared for bed this time, she did not care about the conversation the Emperor was having until he seemed to be reconsidering things. "Imperial Concubine Shu, take her off the contraceptive medicine and start giving her medication for her kidneys and her health. I will give her my own personal apologies as for First Attendant Wei deliver it to her a more potent contraceptive and ensure she does not get the recipe"

Ruyi returned and got ready. Had the decisions made, and small manipulations changed the Emperor for the better? She thought about it throughout her bath and as Souxin dressed her before she sat on the bed awaiting the Emperor. This time she was in a pleasant mood, and a smile was on her face. This time the two had exchanged a kiss and enjoyed themselves a little before the eunuch banged on the door. "Your Majesty. Your Majesty! Your Majesty! It's bad" The emperor pulled away reluctantly. "What is it?" Neither of them expected the news that was delivered "The Seventh Prince and the Empress contracted smallpox from his nursemaid, Your Majesty!"

Ruyi looked after the Emperor as he rushed out, only concerned for his son and not his wife. She knew this time both persons would be sent to Xiefang Hall. And she would be taking on more of the Empress's duties, weakening Fuca Langhua's position.

Ruyi got dressed and made her way to Hailan's palace. At this time, her friend was tucking in her beloved son. "Why are you back, Jiejie? Aren't you serving in bed tonight?" Ruyi quickly realised that, like her, Hailan had forgotten about this incident due to things happening much earlier than before. The changes they made seemed to be helping them but not those that schemed against them.

"The Seventh Prince got the pox. His Majesty is in a panic" Hailan paused. "Life is up to God" This time, the two women did not discuss if one of them did it; instead, they focused on how quickly the Empress would deteriorate this time; her son would die without her being able to guard him.

Instead, she was not far from her son and for three days, she lay across from him in pain, listening to his soft struggling breaths and whimpers of pain. At the same time, the Emperor prayed to the ancestors for his son's life. Ruyi once again accompanied him, informing him of the happenings and begging him to drink water.

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The first person to know about the death of the royal heir other than the physicians was the Empress, who screamed out when her son stopped breathing, "YONGCONG" Her scream caused many to look at the prince before it was announced that The Seventh Prince had died.

In her grief, the Empress tried her best to move over to her son, only to collapse to the ground, tears rolling down her cheeks as the pain consumed her.

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Ruyi turned and bowed to Empress Dowager as she entered the room and watched with grief as Hongli turned to ask his mother why she was present. "Emperor. There's something no one dares to tell you. Only I can come" Ruyi now prepared herself to hear of the Prince's death. She watched as the Emperor received the bad news of the death of his child.

The Empress Dowager said her piece, and Ruyi watched as a tear fell down the man's cheek and lowered her head. Even if she wanted revenge, a child's death still stung.

Now she would leave the rest of matters up to Jingsi and the news of marriage and war. She would not have to lift a finger to scheme for a while. Jingsi had already begun preparing to approach the Empress. Now that her mother was doing better and was not contagious, she had gone to visit.

Staying by the door, she kneeled, "Greetings, Royal Mother". She watched as the woman looked over and seemed disappointed by her presence. "Why are you here?" Jingsi held back from rolling her eyes or making a harsh comment and instead spoke with flowery words ", I have been worried about royal mother as she has not been eating" She watched as the woman swallowed her grief and gazed at her in anger "Yet you could not even visit your brother when he was on his death bed it should have been you".

The cold expression on her face indicated that the Empress meant every word; Jingsi just nodded and gave the greetings a princess gave to the consorts "Then I shall take my leave". She would wait till her mother needed her as a backer before twisting the knife as deeply as possible. 

She made her way to her rooms, where she quickly washed and dressed, having the previous gift burned before she went to visit her true Royal Mother. If anything, she wished that she was Mother Xian's true birth child. Maybe then she would not have a disappointment for a mother.

Authors Note:

I got a very nice message in my inbox today, and it made my day, so this early chapter is my thanks to operashell925. Thank you for enjoying my work.